


The Beauty and the Vampire

by Cajunhusker



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon)
Genre: (Because that's really their dynamic), Accidental Slow Burn, Beauty and the Beast Elements, But not an AU because she's definitely there of her own free will, Cute, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, POV Third Person, POV Third Person Limited, Scars, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24328102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cajunhusker/pseuds/Cajunhusker
Summary: The story of how Dracula Vlad Tepes and Lisa of Lupu fell in love.Eventually.
Relationships: Dracula Vlad Tepes | Mathias Cronqvist & Lisa, Dracula/Lisa (Castlevania)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 105





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part of this chapter takes from the first few scenes of the show to build from the show into my story.

Lisa’s heart had been pounding as she stood in front of the castle, glancing up at it even as she steeled herself. She was going to do this. Too many people had turned her away for being a woman of science, or more ridiculously for being a witch. They’d said a monster lived here, but that he knew more than any man. And she was willing to risk it on that despite the army of skeletons that had greeted her when she walked up, having to pass through them as she saw lights at the top of the castle.

A beautiful castle in a sea of death…

It was enough to take her breath away, even as she looked up at the doors.

Door that looks like they lead into another world with the way they loomed over her, the setting sun casting shadows that made her wonder if everything seemed bigger than it actually was. She let out a breath finally and banged the hilt of her knife against the door, shocked when it swung open with ease. She would have expected… More resistance. Of some sort.

Slowly, she stepped inside, eyes wide as she took in the candles. The grandeur. Even if the outside was gorgeous, the inside put it to shame in a way she hadn’t thought possible. Her knife stayed in hand as she became distracted by the beauty that contrasted so starkly with the death she had seen outside.  
Nearly jumped out of her skin as the door slammed shut at the same time she caught sight of a man at the top of the stairs. At least, she assumed it was a man. They were too far for her to be certain.

“My name is Lisa. I am from the village of Lupu. I want to be a doctor,” she called simply as she sheathed her knife, not intending to be a threat to the person she wanted to teach her. A beast of a being that supposed had managed to kill all of those outside while also knowing the secrets of healing. Of helping.

To which they vanished, only to appear near her side. “You bang on my front door because you want to draw chicken blood on peasants,” a deep voice practically mocked her.

Words she had heard many times before, leaving her anger to bubble up as she turned to try to get a better look at him, some of fear slipping away as she felt old anger return to her. “Do not mistake me for a witch. Everyone out there already does that,” she snapped, turning back towards the stairs as she looked for him again. “I believe in science, but I need to know more. I have exhausted my other options, and all the stories say the man that lives here has secret knowledge.” Well, they used a different word. Not a man. A beast. A monster. Not a good foot to start on.

She froze for a moment as she felt cool breath on the back of her neck before that voice started again. “I am Vlad Dracula Tepes, and I do not get many visitors. What have you to trade for my knowledge, Lisa?” he asked, giving her enough time to pull herself together while he tried to… scare her?

Despite her pounding heart, she stepped away and turned on him. “Well, perhaps I could help you relearn some manners,” she shot back, raising her chin a bit as she realized just how tall he was. Towering over her, and incredibly pale. But definitely still a man. If he was a monster, the only thing that signified it right now were those red eyes. “You haven’t offered to take my coat or even something to drink.”

But her words seemed to surprise him as he looked down at her, cloak surrounding most of him. Still trying to intimidate her like everyone else in her path had. Like she wasn’t aware of the stories or what she was asking.

“Well, what if I took a drink from you? Or have you warded yourself with silver. Or crosses. Garlic and other superstitions,” he answered, voice still quiet, but now sounding more annoyed than anything. That someone would dare to enter his home and ask for his help. It was almost… petulant. Like a child that kept having his toys taken from him.

She couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up a bit, remembering her lunch.

“I might have eaten some roasted garlic earlier. Is that rude? It was all I had left,” she explained with a slight smile, feeling some of her fear ebb away. Vlad might be a monster, but he also didn’t seem particularly intent on hurting her right now. His movements had made clear he was more than fast enough to take her if he wanted to. “I just want to learn. And you are the last of my options to do so. I’m really not interested in superstition. Or being some muttering witch.”

Either her words or her laughter broke something in him as he chuckled, stepping past her before circling her, taking her in. She didn’t move, as much as she felt like circled prey in this moment. If nothing else, this man was a predator. “I don’t want to lure people with nettles and entrails. I want to heal people. Will you help me?” she finally asked as he circled back around to her side, meeting his gaze, even if she had to tilt her head slightly to do it.

“You certainly aren’t like other humans I’ve met recently,” he chuckled quietly.

She snorted quietly, though it wasn’t a no. That was more than so many had given her. “Well, I could teach you about humans and you can teach me about being a doctor. Maybe, by the end of it, you will put up with them. Or at least not put them on stakes,” she said, wrinkling her nose.

Which earned her another laugh as he motioned for her to follow. He seemed to glide as he passed her, not quite managing the same steps that most people did. Like his feet never quite touched the floor. She quickly followed though, taking in the castle. “I haven’t done that in a long time. I just see no reason to take them down,” he half explained, no details actually forthcoming.

She raised an eyebrow at him as she followed quickly, falling into step beside him. “Well, then that’s plenty of reason for you to go back out and actually meet modern people,” she retorted. “Being cooped up here is no way of living.”

“You have been five minutes and you are telling me how to live my life,” he commented, turning to lead her further into the castle and away from the front doors.  
“Because you’re hiding behind that big cloak of yours and enjoying humans spread horrifying stories about you,” she grumbled, shaking her head. She couldn’t imagine staying here for years on end. That’s what it felt like with him, anyways. “If you’re going to teach me something, I’m going to teach you something. And that will be to at least tolerate humans. You share the world with them after all.”

The stairs wound underneath them as she spoke, eyes roaming over the designs that she was beginning to see now that she was adjusting to the dimmer lighting inside. Lighting that certainly wasn’t fire… It was amazing. She wasn’t sure how the light was made, but it cemented the idea that she had come to the right place, even if the man of the castle was a bit daunting.

“I don’t know how much a human could teach someone as old as me, but I suppose you will have a chance to try if you stay,” Vlad murmured next to her, turning them down a long hallway. It truly was a maze of a castle, if one got turned around.

Still, she felt a spring of joy when he said she would have a chance to try to teach him something. “Wonderful,” she said brightly, pausing when he finally found the door he was apparently looking for, pushing it open and cutting off whatever she might have said next.

“This will be your room for as long as you are here,” he said quietly, motioning for her to go ahead and go in. “Unless you have some objection.”

She took a slow step in, turning slowly to examine the whole thing. It was stunning, to say the least. Still a bit dark like what else she had seen so far, but it was well furnished with several bookshelves and a fireplace, which were truly her priority. While the window was heavily curtained, she could tell it was huge with the fabric draping from floor to ceiling next to the bed. And the bed… The bed was huge. Covered in a dark red duvet with gold thread woven throughout to create intricate swirls. And a huge, wooden armoire. Beautiful, truly.

Even if it was obvious it hadn’t been used in a while.

Lisa didn’t realize how long she had been quiet as she heard him clear his throat politely behind her. “Oh! This will do. Though it might need some cleaning,” she teased, turning around to smile. It was certainly more than she had in Lupu. She wasn’t going to complain.

That seemed to take him back in surprise a bit as he glanced around, realizing the dust. “I did say I do not get guests very often,” he retorted, shaking his head slightly. “Feel free to get settled then. I will be downstairs. Come down when you would like to eat. The kitchen is off of where you came in.”

She watched him turn away, the way his cloak swished just slightly behind him. It truly was amazing to watch him move. He seemed to glide through the castle, slightly above it all. But she had to wonder how long he had been alone to give in so quickly to one person demanding to be taught. One woman from a town in the middle of nowhere.

She stood there for a moment longer in thought before finally sighing and going to put her own cloak up, taking her time to examine the room and get the fire going so that it would be comfortable when she came back.

By the time she was ready for dinner, she had to pause in the door as a thought hit her.

Who in the world could cook in a castle meant for a man like Vlad Tepes?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with the Count, and other tiny clues.

Shockingly enough, Vlad was the one she found serving food when she made it downstairs, momentarily proud of not getting distracted by everything she passed. With his cloak pushed back to free up his movements, he was laying out enough food that it looked like a feast to her rather than just one meal for the two of them.

“Is there someone else joining us? Unless you’re hiding a large appetite under that cloak,” she asked curiously, moving to take a seat carefully. It smelled wonderful though, full of meat and cooked vegetables and a number of other things that she wasn’t used to seeing all in one place unless maybe there was a festival going on. Certainly, fit for a man that owned a castle like this, she supposed. However, it seemed like too much for just the two of them.

Vlad paused as he set the last plate down, glancing at the amount of food before shaking his head. “No, I just have not had the chance to cook in a while,” he said simply after considering all of the food. 

Lisa laughed softly at such a simple explanation. So he just liked to cook. “Well, I will appreciate what I can within the confines of my own stomach,” she promised. “But you should make sure it doesn’t go to waste. There’s no way the two of us are going to eat all of this.” And she knew people outside had to be starving, since she hadn’t seen any servants here that would be eating it.

“I won’t be eating with you,” he said simply as he moved to pour himself a glass of what looked like wine, setting a glass of a different red wine in front of her. The colors were different enough to make her wonder just what was in his own glass.

“So this is all for me? Then we must make sure it gets taken out to others,” she said simply as she shook her head, noting the look of disbelief on his face. Like he hadn't even thought about the face that food would be wasted, or that others might want it. “Though you should make sure to take care of yourself. I cannot have a weak teacher.”

Still, she reached to fill up her plate, even as she tried to understand why he wasn’t eating. It felt rude to asked though. He was kind enough to take her in and agree to teach her. She couldn’t just walk in and demand every detail about his life, though she was already insisting he act a bit kinder to those around him. She wouldn’t put up with cruelty if she could help it. Or waste, in this case. She’s seen enough hunger to want to avoid more of that when she could help it. Even if she had to go down to the nearest village herself to give out food.

Vlad took that with a slight shake of his head though, not commenting as he leaned back in his chair and enjoyed his wine. They sat like that in silence until she was most of the way through the meal, him sipping at his wine and her enjoying her food. The only slightly awkward silence of two strangers who were now living together for at least a time.

“Why did you continue up here after seeing those outside?” he finally asked, the question obviously bothering him as he tilted his head a bit to the side, setting his mostly empty glass down. 

Lisa blinked in surprise before she finished her current bite, shrugging slightly. “The way people described you… I knew I was getting into something when I arrived. But truly, no one will teach a woman medicine. Not anything worth learning, at least. I figured I could stand the risk for something I truly want to learn,” she answered steadily, meeting his gaze easily across the table. “Besides, none of the bodies out there are fresh. You may leave them up, but I knew before you told me that you did not still do such a thing.” She took another bite of the carrots, glad to have something outside of her wine to focus on besides him. Even if she wanted to take more of him in. He didn’t seem to be a monster, just a bit odd and lonely man.

That seemed to make him pause as he nodded slightly. “I suppose you have more bravery than many of your kind,” he said quietly, tipping his head towards in her recognition. “Hopefully, that bravery will not fail you.” He said it like a wish.

Like bravery failed the few that ended up on his doorstep.

It made her heart flutter a bit to wonder what had scared off others that might have shown up. “Lucky for me, I’m more stubborn than I can ever be afraid,” she said, raising her glass slightly towards him as if in toast and promise. “So, I shall stay at least until I learn enough to be a good doctor.”

That earned her a smile, a flash of sharper than expected teeth, and he raised his glass in return, letting them lapse back into silence as she finished her meal.

When she finished, she insisted on helping him clean up despite his assurances that he could handle it. If she was going to be staying here, she would help maintain the castle where she could. Still, she helped put the food away, pleased to discover an ice box that seemed to run similarly to the lights everywhere rather than using actual chunks of ice to keep the food cold. She was delighted as she examined it when they were done, trying to understand how it worked and missing the way Vlad made sure to put the bottle of his wine in a completely different area from the rest that she may drink.

She couldn’t quite figure out how it was powered, but she enjoyed thinking on it as she finally closed the door when she felt him watching her. “Right,” she said simply, pulling herself to full height. “Can you show me around properly, then? I’d like to be able to get around without having to ask where everything is.”

“I suppose I can. The lab will not be until tomorrow, though. And you are certainly not allowed in there without me,” he warned shortly, holding her gaze seriously until she nodded, leaving her to wonder what he might keep in there that could be so dangerous. “Good. Then I’ll show you the rest of the castle.” He motioned for her to follow as he turned away, cloaking settling around him properly again now that they were away from the table.

She kept pace with him, eyes wandering over the walls. “This truly is a stunning place,” she said quietly, fingers running over the stair railing as they headed back upstairs slowly. Outside of the kitchen, he didn’t seem intent to show her anything on the ground level. “And the lights are like nothing I’ve seen.”

He glanced at her curiously before nodding. “Yes, well, they are run by electricity. It is much less volatile than fire when properly maintained,” he explained. “Though I do not believe many others use it yet. “

“I do not think I have ever heard of someone using electricity,” she said quietly, glancing towards the lights. It certainly didn’t sound familiar, and the lamps on the walls provided far more steady light than anything she was used to. Reading by them would be much easier than by a fire or candle. 

She asked a few more questions as they walked about how they worked, not quite understanding but curious none the less. All of which he answered in a rather simple manner. He occasionally pointed out different rooms, though much of it just seemed to be empty. Still, what she saw was beautiful. There was paintings and intricate detailing throughout the castle on the walls and even the ceilings. Far more extravagant than she had seen before. Which was how she nearly kept going when he finally paused in front of a door, watching her in slight amusement.

“This is the library. If you enjoy learning so much, I imagine you’ll quite enjoy it here,” Vlad said as he pushed the door open to reveal shelves upon shelves of books on two different stories. A second floor wrapped around above the first, giving a beautiful view of the area. “I have everything catalogued, so you can find it with ease. All I ask is you return things to where you find them.”

She stepped in, letting out a quiet breath. “This is wonderful! I can’t imagine taking the time to collect and then sort all of these!” she said softly in awe, eyes wide as she took it in. She might not have been able to learn medicine from others, but she loved to read.

“Conquests and time do that,” he said offhandedly, continuing talking as her gaze snapped to him in surprise. “I’ll pick out several for you to begin your studies on later tonight.”

Conquests?

That didn’t fit with what she knew about him, but it made a bit of sense. He had implied that he hadn’t been among people in years. But the bodies outside would suggest he had fought some sort of battle at some point. There was too many just for unwelcome guests… But how did he keep such a well-stocked library if he never left? It couldn’t be up to date just from long ago apparent conquests.

“Thank you,” she finally said, nodding slightly, unsure how to ask about what just had happened. It was too broad a topic. Maybe she could piece it together.  


He nodded. “Of course. Any student of mine must at least be well read,” he said, turning to leave the library. “You are always welcome in here as long as you treat the books well.” He showed her other portions of the castle. The gardens were just as exquisite, full of life that she didn’t expect to find within the walls. Nearby an obvious training ring that didn’t appear to be in use anymore, though she spotted an armory. They even passed what might have been a chapel at once, though it appeared long in disrepair and showed no sign of the church except for some old stained glass. 

They saw no sign of anyone else, continuing the idea that Vlad was the only person that lived her currently, though everything was exceedingly well kept. Even if he was the only one here, he kept everything in wonderful condition on his own. She could only imagine how much work it took to keep up such a big area by himself.

She was yawning by the end of it, the moon high in the sky outside.

“I apologize, I have kept you up. You should get some rest. I imagine your travels have exhausted you,” he said when she finished, steering her towards her room. “I will be up until sunrise if you need anything. Otherwise, I will see you tomorrow night.”

She paused at her door, head tilting a bit to the side at such odd hours. Maybe that was why he had developed such excellent lighting. Did he not like daytime? “It is quite alright. If I wake up earlier, I want to be able to find my way around,” she promised, waving off his apologies. “I look forward to it. Sleep well, Vlad.” She offered a smile before pushing her door open.

“Good night, Lisa of Lupu,” she heard him murmur as the door shut behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! A new chapter will be coming soon


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lisa begins her lessons and comes out with more questions than answers.

Lisa didn’t actually expect him to sleep all of the next day, but he’d been kind enough to leave a small stack of books that he had apparently pick out next to her door as well as a change of clothes that seemed near her size. Which was more than a pleasant surprise considering she had only had a small bag of things with her when she arrived the day before…

It was nice to change into clean clothes after so long on the road, enjoying the soft material of a purple dress for a moment before going to find something to eat and a place to read. Beautiful. She had to wonder for a moment where he found something that fit her so well.

Still, it was nice to settle into something after walking through a sea of bodies of stakes. As long of those days were long ago, she was willing to give him a chance, and to hear why he had thought such a thing necessary.

She had found a nice spot to curl up in the courtyard under a treat with some of the books he had left for her afterwards, pouring over them. Because as much as she wanted to look at the lab, she didn’t want to risk the fact that she finally had a teacher. She couldn’t risk it. Not until she was certain he wouldn’t throw her out for not listening.

Even though she was still trying to pay attention to her surroundings, she nearly jumped out of her skin when he appeared beside her. “You should make some noise!” she snapped as she composed herself, glancing up from the ground in annoyance at him, heart pounding. How had he moved so quietly? She usually noticed when people approached her! Even when she was reading…

Still, the sun was setting now, well behind the castle walls, not hitting either of them.

Vlad lips twitched in amusement and offered her a hand; a cloak settled around his shoulders despite the warm air. “Perhaps you should pay more attention,” he answered lightly as she closed her book and took it to get to her feet despite her annoyance. “Though, I did not expect to find you outside. Or I would have been here sooner.”

Rolling her eyes, she couldn’t help but notice how cool his hand was as she made sure to mark the spot in the book. “It was a nice day. Which makes me wonder if you’re alright all bundled up in that cloak,” she said, reaching her hand up to touch his forehead to see if he had a fever without thinking. The material looked heavy, and while his hands felt alright albeit cool, it didn’t make any sense. Most people would be incredibly uncomfortable dressed like that right now…

But Vlad jerked back in surprise before she could touch his head. “How astute. No, I just tend to be. Colder than most,” he said as if picking his words carefully, a small frown spreading across his face. “Now, I believe you said you wanted to learn. I was going to show you my lab if you’re done being nosy.”

Her eyes widened even as she tried to process why he would be so offended by her worry. Of course, she wanted to see his lab! That’s why she was here, after all. But… “Well, yes. But I don’t want you getting sick,” she said, not getting the chance to continue that train of thought as he left her to catch up, heading back inside. How was being worried nosy?

His pace was brisk, well ahead of her as darkness fell properly behind them, leaving her unable to press further about if he was alright. With his long legs, it took a moment for her to catch up. Did he not liked to be touched? But he had been the one to offer her a hand up…

“So where is Lupu?” he asked when she finally managed to fall into step beside him.

Lisa blinked as she forced herself to take a breath, not expecting the question. Or the fact that he had never heard of it. It wasn’t far from here. She hadn’t had too far to walk, after all. It had only taken a few days. “You don’t travel much, do you?” she asked curiously, a small smile spreading across her face.

At least he wasn’t angry with her. She must have just surprised him. Being alone might make a person jumpy.

“I can travel! This whole apparatus is a traveling machine,” he retorted, almost defensive as he waved to the castle, leaving her to wonder how a castle could move. Not that she didn’t believe him, but it was beyond anything she knew about. Then again, so were his lights.

She relaxed slightly, letting her earlier worries slide to the side for now, not unforgotten but less important. If he wasn’t actually mad, just unused to being around someone, she could work with that. “But you don’t, do you?” she asked softly, teasing. “Maybe you should. The world is changing. You should travel, like people do. You might discover something you actually like about them.”

The way he paused for a moment, she hoped he thought about it. “You’ve known me for less than a day, and yet you offer me to walk the earth like a normal peasant,” he commented, shaking his head. He continued on, pushing a door open in front of them at the end of the entrance hall. “While I offer you the knowledge of immortals, the true science.”

Behind the door was a room far more magnificent than the library could have dreamed of.

Incredibly well lit, the gold of equipment gleamed. A telescope that pointed towards a currently closed window, lights like those that lit the castle. Beakers on top of well-organized tables. Balls of energy and plants growing inside glass enclosures. Even more bookshelves filled to the brim, likely as immaculately organized as those she had seen in the library. Lightening in spheres. Experiments she knew she couldn’t understand in various stages throughout the lab. And more she couldn’t see, even now.

She stepped past him, turning slowly as she took it with wide eyes, mouth open slightly in shock. Surrounded by things she vaguely recognized and others she certainly did not. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

“They won’t be peasants anymore if you teach them,” she finally managed as she turned back to him, face bright with wonder. “They won’t live such short, scared lives if they have real medicine! They won’t be so superstitious if they have the same knowledge as you.” There were so many possibilities hidden away in his castle. She wanted to see them all.

“Now why would I do that?” 

His words cut through her amazement, leaving her to stare for a moment at him. “Because it’s the right thing to do,” she retorted, meeting his gaze easily. He looked amused, at least. Though she didn’t understand why he wouldn’t want to help others. “You can start with me. And I’ll start with you.” 

She would make good on her promise to teach him to see the good in other humans. He couldn’t spend all of his time hidden away in this castle.

His face softened, a smile seeming to pull at the corners of his mouth before he bowed to her, holding out a hand to the rest of the lab left unseen. “I think I might like you,” he finally said, any prior annoyance gone.

Warmth spread through her at his approval, smiling before slowly moving to explore the rest of the lab. She paused, glancing back to take him in, still bowed with a small smile on his own face. “Well, Vlad Tepes, I think might like you too,” she said softly, watching him stand to full height again. Maybe he was a mysterious man, a man not well known by many. But she could feel that statement settle inside her properly. She might just like him too.

At least enough to know, for now, that whatever secrets he was hiding behind that big cloak were worth being his student.

She turned away, heading further into the lab, careful not to touch anything as he followed her this time. When she asked what things were or how they worked, he was happy to explain just as he was the night before, occasionally gracing her with another small smile when he questions became more complex.

Still, he was careful not to touch her again after earlier, keeping his hands within his cloak or not far from it. Though he didn’t jerk back like he had when she tried to touch his head, he still withdrew again if she seemed to be getting too close. Instead, he showed her how to use the most basic of the tools and occasionally asked her questions to gauge just how much she knew before showing up on his doorstep.

Which was how they spent several hours until her stomach finally protested the lack of attention, though he noticed it’s grumbling first. “Should we find something for you to eat then?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

It was how they settled into the first of what would become many of her days in this lab, working through how different things worked and how she could assemble them. Quizzing her on different parts of the body and how things were interconnected. What an injury could mean to someone. What recovery time might look like depending on treatment. It mostly theoretical, making sure she had the groundwork that she would need to be a successful doctor.

And if they occasionally brushed hands, he relaxed a bit about it. Still, he was always cool to the touch. And while she wondered, she didn’t force the subject again. He never lost the cloak though, happy to retreat into it when he seemed to feel uncomfortable.

They were often interrupted by her stomach, much to her annoyance.

Still, he never ate with her, sticking to a wine that she noticed didn’t come from the same bottle as hers. A man full of mysteries that she had yet to understand. At least he was learning how to cook normal portions.

If those were her second set of lessons, she approached them more carefully. Those were words he refused to impart as readily, though she began to discover older things around the castles. Paintings of him with dates from over a hundred years ago, artifacts that she could not imagine how he had found them. Strange things that she just couldn’t quite add up yet, but he was intent on finding out.

At least he was happy to talk with her, seeming to miss having company around the castle. He didn’t talk much about his past though, leaving her guessing where he had found all of these books or the ability to build his lab.

A man with strange knowledge indeed. Maybe a strange sense of humor.

She wasn’t too sure which.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a quick update because the next chapter is going to be at least 2000+ words and is picking up a bit (I'm in the middle of it). Let me know what you think! I love hearing from you all!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Convincing Vlad to go into town was hard, convincing him to stay was harder.

By the end of her second week, Lisa realized the food was going to begin going bad soon. 

She frowned softly as she pulled out a plate for herself, looking at it all for a moment before sighing quietly. “We need to take some of this into town, Vlad. Otherwise it’s going to go to waste,” she commented.

He glanced up from where he was pouring his odd colored wine, eyebrows knitting together. “That is quite ridiculous. It would not be that much,” he retorted, putting the bottles away calmly.

“How would you know? You’re not the one that is eating it,” she answered, setting her plate down and holding his gaze. She’d noticed recently that she was the only one eating what was left in the fridge. The amount never seemed to change otherwise. She couldn’t understand how he wasn’t eating though. “So. We should go take it down the village.”

That seemed to make her pause for a moment, as if he had not expected her to notice. She used it as an excuse to keep going if he wasn’t ready to argue with her. “People down there need to eat just as much as I do, and you’re the one that cooked all of this delicious food. It would be a shame to let it go to waste-“

“We are not going down to the village. I would certainly not be welcome, so it would not hep despite your efforts,” he finally answered, finding his voice.

Lisa pressed her lips together, head tilting a bit to the side. “I refuse to accept that,” she said shortly, taking a bit of her dinner. People always accepted food when they were hungry. “Besides, you need to get out of the castle. It is my turn to teach you.”

His glass hit the table, enough to make noise while managing not to shatter it. Demanding an end to the conversation. But she waited, continuing to enjoy her meal. Lisa of Lupu wasn’t known for backing down, otherwise she never would have ended up here. Instead, she ate in silence, giving him time to fume over her demand. It seemed to make him more uncomfortable than anything, the idea of leaving his castle. How long had it been? Since he had been among people he wasn’t trying to kill?

She’d go down by herself if she had to, but she didn’t want to. People were hungry down there, and if they had extra food, she would make sure they were fed. The silence stretched between them as she ate, refusing to break the silence.

“Fine,” he finally hissed in annoyance as she started to finish up, her own glass empty as well as most of her plate. “We can go tomorrow after sunset. But do not be surprised when they do not accept it."

After sunset? Still, a grin spread across her face despite the odd term. He had things to learn that were just as important as her learning medicine. “Wonderful! We’ll leave after you get up,” she agreed, getting up to wash her plate with a slight bounce in her step. It paid to be stubborn more often than not. If she had known him better, she might have kissed on the cheek in thanks. “You have to promise to try not to scare them, alright?”

That only earned her a huff as he stood, plucking the plate from her hands to clean it himself. “I am not changing how I present myself just for these humans,” he retorted.

She reached to grab their mostly empty glasses as well to clean, smiling to herself. What did shock her was the moment he whirled around to take the glasses from her hands before she could bring them to the sink. Blinking in shock, she looked up at him for a moment, still shocked he could move that quickly sometimes. “I can grab the dishes, you know,” she commented lightly.

“Yes, well. You can dry today,” he said, glancing at his own glass for a moment before turning away again for the sink. Leaving her to look at his back in confusion, unsure what he could be worrying about. It was just dishes…

Still she took her place next to him to dry, confused at his actions. He rarely made sense but that was a bit much. It must have something to do with whatever he was only barely attempting to hide from her. Like perhaps she should have known it when she arrived, but she had missed it. Yet to have figured that out, she couldn’t quite pull together the oddities of his character or the reason people called him a monster. Well, besides the stakes outside. Which she had pushed aside for the most part.

“Tomorrow won’t be so bad,” she promised quietly as she took the plate from him first when he was done. “Staying in this castle on your own has probably been quite bad for you. You have missed all the things humanity has learned.”

That earned her a quiet snort of disbelief. “And yet they have not caught up with me,” he grumbled quietly.

She pushed him lightly with her shoulder, smiling. “And that is why you are teaching me. So they can catch up. But you will see. People are not as bad as you say they are,” she promised. Maybe it was a good thing she was stubborn because he was just as bad.

He continued to half grumble under his breath whenever she brought it up, but he helped her pack up the food. It was amusing to watch someone who was supposed to be incredibly intimidating act like such a child about going down to the village. They wouldn’t even be going that far! She was going to get him out of his comfort zone. Which was apparently not very large.

He could not keep staying up here.

Which was how the next afternoon found the two heading out of the castle with a few bags of food, the sun just barely below the horizon. She had been hoping he would get up earlier for once, but even she wasn’t so lucky. It had given her time to decide her traveling clothes were probably best to wear rather than what he had given her though. He might intimidate people with his big cloak and occasionally harsh way of speaking, so it was better if she looked more like everyone else, she decided. Rather than the admittedly incredibly nice clothes he had somehow found for her.

She paused for a moment as they stepped out, looking at the bodies for a moment before sighing quietly. “You should take these down if they are not something you do anymore,” she commented quietly, heading back down the path she had arrived on a few weeks ago.

“Why? It keeps all but the most stubborn from my door,” he retorted without hesitation, falling into step beside her instead of pulling ahead like he was prone to. Like perhaps he wasn’t quite sure about what he was doing out here.

“And yet I doubt you regret me showing up,” she teased, raising an eyebrow. She certainly didn’t regret it. “But I don’t think you actually like being alone.”

The way he stiffened for a moment next to her made her think she might be right. “You’re quite presumptuous for someone who has only known me for a few weeks,” Vlad said, shaking his head as he seemed to pull into his cloak slightly. 

That made her pause, thinking it through for a moment before finally shaking her head. She was certain of this, at least. “No. I think you didn’t know how to reach out after hiding yourself in that castle for so long,” she explained, trying to give him some background. “You were more than happy to have me around after you realized I wasn’t going to be cowed by you. And that I did actually want to learn medicine.”

“I don’t know who you would be cowed by at this point,” he muttered, though she could feel him watching her. 

“Hardly anyone,” Lisa chirped with a grin up at him, pulling a chuckle from him. 

Though they were walking through a sea of bodies on stakes, the rest of it felt calmer. Like they had settled a bit after addressing the sea of dead bodies. With any luck, maybe he would perhaps remove them. Or even some of them. She would take baby steps.

It was nearly an hour before they made it into town, the night luckily warm enough that people were still out, especially those that would be trying to scrounge some food up at this hour. They walked together, Vlad beginning to trail a bit behind her, uncomfortable surrounded even by these few people. Still, they made it towards the center of the village without incident.

“Oh good! Dearie, we were so worried about you going up to that cast-“ one of the village women started to say as she rushed over to the pair. She froze as the moment she saw Vlad behind her, eyes wide as the woman made the sign of the cross.

Lisa blinked in surprise, glancing behind her for a moment before turning to smile at the woman, trying to be reassuring and make sure Vlad knew she wouldn’t put up with this. She hadn’t expected that. “No, it’s okay. He’s a friend, I promise,” she promised, reaching to stop her gently, taking one of her hands to still her nerves. “We brought some of our food to share. I didn’t want it to go to waste.”

The woman glanced between her and Vlad, hand tightening around Lisa’s worriedly for a moment. “You need to be very careful,” she said quietly, a deep frown crossing her face.

“I’m always careful, and Vlad is an excellent host,” Lisa promised easily, shaking her head. “Why don’t you take some of this back to your family? You should all enjoy it.” She reached to pull one of the bundles of food from her bag, holding it out to her.

The woman glanced between them as she took the bread with shaky hands, crossing herself once more before nodding. “You take care, young lady,” she said softly before rushing away.

“I told you this wouldn’t be a good idea,” Vlad said shortly with a grimace, causing her to turn and look up at him. He… didn’t like not being accepted, she realized. Or at least respected. “There are reasons I do not come down here. I am surprised she even took the meal.”

Lisa stepped closer, offering a soft smile. “No, it is a good idea. Because she’s seeing that you aren’t just all dark cloaks and intimidation,” she promised gently, trying to reassure him while keeping a light tone. “And you’re seeing that these people worry about others. So everyone is seeing new things.”

“Yet, I have to contend with scared villagers make the cross at me?” he snapped, meeting her gaze. “It is not exactly how I would choose to spend a night.”

She resisted the urge to sigh as she took him for a moment. “It is just for tonight,” she reminded, hoping to ease what appeared to be nerves. Though, she had to admit, the sign of the cross was a bit unsettling. “They’ll see that you are willing to share what you have, and that will mean a lot to people like these. We’ll finish giving out the food and head back to the castle.”

His grimace only deepened at the idea of staying out here for longer before he finally nodded. “Fine. Fine, we may finish,” he said, giving in.

She smiled and nodded, reaching for his hand to pull him towards the village center. “It won’t be so bad,” she promised over her shoulder, hoping to find more people. If they were going to be out, they’d be in the center. Since she didn’t want to bring him to the inn, unsure how he or the people would react.

He still trailed behind her, though he allowed himself to be pulled along. When they did make it to the town center, she let go of his hand, certain he wouldn’t disappear now. She remembered seeing a few children around here last time that appeared without a family, though someone had mentioned they usually found somewhere to sleep for the night. They would need this most…

There they were! 

She headed towards the fountain, crouching down a bit in front of the two sitting there, boy and a girl. They both had to be twelve or younger, the boy pulling his sister a little closer protectively. Whether from her or from Dracula, she wasn’t sure. “I was wondering if you two would be out here,” she greeted as she set her bag down. “My friend and I brought some food to share.”

She carefully dug around to find two rather containers and held them out carefully. “He cooked too much for us. So you two should enjoy these plenty,” she said gently when they didn’t speak, continuing as if they were having a conversation. “He’s a far better cook than I,” she added in a stage whisper which earned her a giggle from the girl. And a quiet snort from behind her. Not that he would know. How could he cook so well when she’d never seen him eat?

There was only a murmur of thanks before the two tore into the first container, looking intent on devouring the whole thing without much thought. Not that she could blame them.

“Careful. If you eat too quickly, you’ll make yourself sick and that will be a waste,” Vlad warned quietly from behind her, causing them to jump slightly. Their heads snapped up in surprise, meeting his gaze before they gave a careful nod each.

“Yes, sir,” the boy murmured quietly, making a point to be a bit more careful about his next few bites. “Thank you.”

Lisa hadn’t even thought of that, surprised but glad he did. She got to her feet, gathering her bag up carefully. “Good. You’d end up with an emptier belly than you started with,” she added. “You two be safe, alright?”

She waited until she was sure they were going to listen to Vlad’s instructions before letting them carry on, not wanting to scare or upset them by pressing too hard. It was bad enough they were out here on their own at such a young age. “That was kind of you, to make sure they don’t get sick,” she commented quietly.

Vlad shrugged awkwardly next to her. “It would ruin the purpose of giving them something if they ended up regurgitating it later,” he said. “Besides, I doubt they would know better. They are only children.” Like it was the most obvious thing in the world that he would help children.

Lisa only smiled softly and continued with their errand. “If you say so,” she murmured. Still, it was sweet.

The rest of it passed mostly without event, though they still got the sign of the cross at the sight of Vlad sometimes. He would grimace or complain when they disappeared, uncomfortable. But overall, it went well, she hoped. She hoped he was able to see people weren’t so bad, just a little superstitious still.

When they finally went to leave, night had well and truly fallen, leaving them walk back with only some moon light. “Thank you for coming with me,” she said, hands stuffing into her pockets to keep them warm against the slightly chilly night air. “It was good to get out for a bit.”

“I would not have let you go on your own when you would return so late,” he answered with an awkward shrug. At least he knew the hours they were keeping were a bit odd.

She waved a hand at him though. “I made it to your castle without problems. I could easily make it to the village and back,” she reminded with a grin. She just would have kept her knife in her hand rather than at her hip. It did feel better to have him next to her though, knowing people were less likely to bother her. 

Vlad just snorted quietly again. “That is not a reason to let you go on your own if I am available. Especially since we will make it back before sunrise,” he said shortly.  
Lisa raised an eyebrow in amusement as she folded the bag she had been carrying to tuck under her arm. “I don’t see why your sleep schedule is so strict. Not that even I would want to be out all night,” she said, unsure where the rise and going to bed with the moon came from. 

Why was he so stringent about it? Like it was a law he would not break.

“The sun has disagreed with me for many years,” he explained, a bit cryptically in her opinion. “It would not do me well to be caught outside in. Thus, I prefer the night and do not stay up with the sun.”

She shook her head slightly. “If you say so,” she murmured, seeing the sea of bodies ahead in the distance. Her next goal was going to be convincing him to take these down. Hopefully, that would be easier since he didn’t have to go into the village for that. “We will certainly make it back before sunrise, at least. So you won’t have any disagreements today. Even the villagers weren’t so bad.”

She could practically hear him roll his eyes at her. “Ah yes, the sign of the cross being made is such a pleasant way to spend my evening,” he retorted.

“Only because you are all getting used to each other. You’ll see, next time will be better,” Lisa promised, hoping that she was right. Some things took time, like introducing him back into society. And introducing society back to him.

“Next time?” he asked in shock, lips forming a thin line after that. 

But he didn’t protest much more as they made it back to the castle, taking the bag from her to put them away. “Thanks again for coming with me,” she said when he seemed to relax a little. “Told you I’d start to teach you something too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably could have split this chapter up into two, but I like it better as one. Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think, your comments give me life!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vlad is a what?!

The first time Lisa saw Vlad completely without his cloak, the two of them had formed a true routine. They had been standing in his lab, leaning over their work as he explained how different medicines should be stored and why they actually worked, planning on showing her how to apply some of them and how to set more extensive injuries. It had been a few weeks now and she was actually learning the hands-on skills. Most of it was simply maintaining the equipment, but there was also plants and the process of creating. They were starting to move into applying!

He must have taken it off when she was leaned over the book they were using, which made sense. They couldn’t risk anything catching fire or dragging in their ingredients. It was why she always wore her hair tightly back when he was teaching her, not wanting to drag it in something unpleasant or have it get in her face.  
But when she turned to glance at him as he continued explaining, she could see some of the scars from where his sleeves had started to ride. She blinked in surprise, reaching out to carefully push the sleeves up to get a better look, worried.

His hands jerked back in surprise, hissing softly as he quickly tugged it back down to his wrists, revealing his rather pointy teeth for a moment. Like a cornered animal. Like her touch had shocked him, maybe even hurt him. Almost like when she had tried to see if he had a fever after she had gotten here. “Is it not rude to touch someone like that without permission?” he snapped sharply, stepping away from her and their work. 

“I barely touched you,” she retorted, though she raised her hands as she stepped away. “They just looked extensive. It’s not bad to make sure you’re alright!”  
Pointedly tugging his sleeves down again, he pressed his lips together. “They’re far too old for you to do anything about. From battles well before you were born,” he snapped.

She blinked in surprise, glancing at him and then his arms again before letting out a breath. Battles that left scars after so many years must have been horrendous. What little she had seen appeared dark, likely from deep and extensive wounds. “Fine. But you need to get over the fact that I am going to worry when I see things like that,” she said shortly, folding her arms across her chest. “And I’m going to have to see your scars if you’re going to show me how to be putting different things on wounds. I can’t just practice on-“ 

“You’ll practice on what I let you practice on,” he snapped back in annoyance, pulling himself to full height pointedly. Holding his physical height over her. “You are not the one that gets to decide how that happens. Understand?”

“No, I don’t think I do. I have to practice if I want to be a good doctor! And you said you would help me do that,” she huffed, stepping towards him. Until they were nearly touching. She was not going to be intimidated. Enough men had tried that, but she was still standing in this castle. She was going to learn. “Maybe you should recognize the fact that I am going to ask questions, about you and about the lessons. Or check to see if you’re alright. But you are my friend as much as you are my teacher!”

Vlad froze as she practically yelled at him, meeting her gaze coldly for a minute as he seemed to gather himself up. “You do not dictate our relationship. Teacher, friend. Prey,” he hissed, teeth flashing. Fangs “I do. And you would do well not to press that. Because you are here out of what little kindness I still hold.”

Prey.

Fear curled inside her like it had that first day she’d stepped inside those large doors.

Lisa met his gaze defiantly. “Prey? I’m prey now?” she said even as he heard pounded in her chest. She knew if she pushed, he might snap at some point. Here he was. Snapping. “Understand me, Vlad Dracula Tepes. I am no one’s prey. Be he man or beast. When you can find your manners, we can resume this lesson.”

She turned away, heading for the door. Despite the fact that her instincts said she was turning her back on dangers that could tear her apart. Instincts she didn’t understand. Vlad had never hurt her. She stalked back towards the doors to head for her room, refusing to be beholden to something she didn’t understand, even her own instincts. 

She would not be controlled by any man.

She almost made it to the stairs when he appeared in front of her. Stepping back in surprise, she glared up. “You don’t scare me,” she hissed.

“And yet I can hear your heart pounding, Lisa of Lupu. Tell me, did you come here just to make fun of me then? If you were going to be so insistent on finding everything out?” Vlad asked softly as he stepped towards her, leaning over her. “Share with the world the story of the monster that lives in this castle? That was foolish enough to share his knowledge with some girl that showed up on his doorstep?”

Her eyes widened slightly. He could hear her heart? She took another step back, shoving at his chest. “I came here to learn. And I thought I was making a friend,” she retorted, insulted. “You are no monster. But you are a fool. When you’re ready to act like an adult, we can talk again.”

He didn’t follow her this time, though he could feel her watching her as she made it up the other side of the stairs, stalking off to her room with her head held high. Her door slammed behind her when she finally made it back. If he could hear her heart, she wanted to make sure he heard that. 

Lisa collapsed into a chair by the fire, head falling back tiredly as she watched the low flames tiredly, mind racing. He had been truly trying to scare her there at the end, and it felt like she had been chased despite her being fairly certain he would never hurt her. 

Prey? 

How could he hear her heart?

She had properly seen his fangs this time. They were truly fangs…

He slept all day…

She sat there for a long time like that, only eventually getting up to stoke the flames, trying to run through just what she knew about him. He’d been involved in conquests, he apparently had enough scarring the he hid behind his clothes, obviously not wanting her to know.

She didn’t sleep that night, not that that was as uncommon as it used to be with her schedule adjusting to his. Instead, she wrote it out, taking notes and trying to work out what was going on. Besides some apparent emotional constipation on his part. Truly, the fact that he thought she was up here just for gossip!

She huffed softly, heading for the library even though she was starting to drag as the sun rose. She needed answers. Which was how she found herself in the library under a section labelled vampire, much to her chagrin. Such things were usually beyond her, but she couldn’t come up with a logical explanation if everything were to add up.

And these books… 

They were like the medical ones he had let her borrow. Full of details and explanations. Things she had never seen before in myths, presented so confidently that she couldn’t be sure what to believe. Her heart pounded even now, staring down at the description that seemed to match Vlad so well.

Could he really be a vampire?

That… That was impossible. Right?

But these books contained the details of how they worked. How they survived on blood. Which would be the right color for his wine, now that she thought about it. Her heart stuttered for a moment as she stared down at a diagram of fangs. She’d always thought this was old wives tales. Stories to make the children behave. Ridiculous things for those in her village to explain things they didn’t yet understand.

But.

She forced herself to put all but the last book away, pulling it against her as she headed back towards her room tiredly. She needed time to think. Time to figure out if she was going to have the gall to ask her host if he was actually a vampire. 

Lisa finally curled up in her bed, the book next to her head as she forced herself to breathe. It was a long while before she drifted off, despite her exhaustion, thoughts of vampires and actually plausible explanations dancing in her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on the next chapter, but this was the last one I had pre-written. So I'm not sure when that will be up as I've started work


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected guest makes an appearance.

Several days past before she got the courage to talk to him again. Well, before he came to find her.

In that time, she still found fresh meals downstairs. He didn’t join her though, leaving her to her own devices for a while. She occasionally saw him in passing, and he seemed to let out a bit of a sigh of relief each time. Like he thought she would leave. 

Thankfully, it gave her time to process everything until Dracula finally paused behind his chair in the kitchen while she was eating one night. “We should talk,” he said quietly, resting his hands on the back of his own chair across from her. “About the other day.”

And if her heart picked up it’s pace in her chest, she couldn’t really be blamed for it. Though it was likely not for the reasons he thought it did. “I hope you plan on starting with an apology,” she shot back, raising an eyebrow at him despite herself before taking another bite. Even if she was a vampire, she knew how to be more logical than this. He’d never harmed her… He’d never even tried to do more than scare her.

If she was going to pride herself on being rational, she needed to get control of this.

Still, the retorted seemed to make him pause before he let out a sigh. “I planned on including an apology as well as an explanation of sorts,” he answered simply, frowning. Like he hadn’t done such a thing in a long time. 

He might not have. He waited though to make sure she was listening. When she nodded, he seemed to steel himself before continuing. “I am not… used to people trying to get into my life. Or press about different aspects of it,” he began, hands tightening on the back of the chair. “I have told you I rarely have visitors, and none in many years that have stayed as long as yourself. So people concerning themselves over anything about me is rather. Suspicious, I suppose. Especially when it surrounds my scars.”

Lisa frowned, carefully setting down her fork before meeting his gaze. “You need to get used to having a friend again, if that’s the case,” she explained. She wasn’t going to apologize for caring.

“Right,” he murmured, looking over her shoulder as he seemed to steady himself again. “Thus, I apologize for my outburst. That was. Not deserved.” His words became a bit clipped towards the end, as if he was unsure how to explain it.

But she could take an apology, even if he wasn’t sure how to give it.

She took a breath and then nodded. “No, it certainly wasn’t deserved. You called me prey,” she reminded, which he at least had the decency to look awkward for saying. Good. “But if you’re sorry, why don’t you join me?” Not that she should be inviting the owner of the castle to dine with her, but she wasn’t sure he would otherwise. And she had her own questions. Questions that it might be better if he was seated for, given their nature. “I wanted to ask you something about all of that, actually.”

He froze before carefully pulling out the seat. “If it means you shall accept the apology, I’ll be happy to answer,” he finally offered, albeit a bit uncomfortably, sitting down across from her. It was odd when he was without his usual glass of wine. Or whatever he drank.

Was she really going to risk making an absolute fool of herself over a handful of books that discussed vampires and the fact that he had somewhat pointy teeth? And odd sleeping habits? With apparently excellent hearing.

She took another bite of her dinner as she tried to pull herself together. “This will likely sound a bit ridiculous, but you are the one that has books full of information on the matter,” she warned after she finished chewing. She could do this. And she had to hope he wouldn’t get angry. Taking a steadying breath, she forced herself to continue. “Are you a vampire?”

It felt worse to say it out loud. Insane, even.

The words hung in the air, her waiting for some form of response. Her fingers crossed that it would be nothing worse than laughter.

His eyes widened as he looked at her, seemed to take not only the question but her as a whole. Like he was seeing into her very essence as he turned the question over. “I had thought you were somewhat aware,” he finally said, frowning. “I have never made a secret that I am not human. But yes, I am a vampire.”

She froze in the process of going to take another bite as she had been trying to ignore the awkward silence, eyes wide as she stared at him. Vampires were supposed to be a myth.   
But she could see it now, if that was the case. The way he moved incredibly quickly. Talking about taking a drink from her when he’d arrived. Mentioning how things had happened years and years ago, before she was born sometimes.

The things she had just brushed off as oddities of his character rather than putting together that he was actually supernatural.

“I suppose I apologize for the shock as well. I had truly assumed you knew,” Vlad finally murmured as he pushed back his chair to get up. As if he felt unwelcome in his own home.   
She finally managed to shake herself from her shock a bit, finding herself reaching for his arm before he could manage to leave and run off to his own rooms. Or wherever he went when they weren’t around each other. 

She more than expected him to try to shake her off when she grabbed him, but instead, he seemed to be staring at her with wide eyes. Shock? Wonder? “No. No, it is alright,” she said quickly, looking up at him. Reminding herself that this was the same person that had invited her in and even begun to teach her.

She carefully let go of his arm, remembering how he had jerked back just a day before, not moving from her spot in front of him as she took a breath. “I just… never realized it was possible. I assumed vampires were stories parents used to scare their children into bed,” she explained with an awkward laugh. Too rational for her own good, this time. Never having heard a credible story, she had discounted it all. “I had chalked much of it up to you just being odd and lonely. Maybe you should be a bit clearer in the future...”

“I thought I had been abundantly clear upon your arrival,” he retorted, shaking his head. Which, maybe he had. Maybe she had been a bit too dense to see it. A bit too closed minded. Not that that could often be said of her. “I was actively trying to scare you off.”

Lisa just rolled her eyes at that, feeling her heart finally settle back into its normal rhythm. This was more familiar. More at home than the rest of their conversation. “I remember,” she agreed. “But I don’t- didn’t believe in vampires. Or anything of the sort. So perhaps you’ll explain them to me? Though your books were rather detailed.”

That seemed to get a small smile out of him, whether because he could actually hear her heart or because she had bothered to do the research when she couldn’t explain what she had seen in front of her. She wasn’t sure. “I suppose I may answer a few of your questions,” he said, motioning for her to take a seat again. “But we will also need to lay some rules about how you will learn with me tonight. I do not think that was the most. Productive use of our time the other day.”

He put it lightly, in her opinion. “We can start with the fact that I’m going to need actual practice outside of just poking at inanimate objects. And if you’re supposedly a vampire, it shouldn’t harm you much if I practice on you,” she said as she carefully sat back at the table.

He moved away to pour a glass of- likely blood. Where did he even get it? The books said vampires survived on blood. “Something will have to be worked out. But I do not like people aggravating my scars,” he said bluntly, standing at the counter to take a sip before turning back to her. Even if she wasn’t sure how she felt about what he was drinking, it was at least a familiar sight.

“Now, what other questions do you have? I’m sure you’re full of them,” he continued, sitting down across from her again. 

She smiled, feeling like they were back in the classroom. “Plenty,” she promised. She always had questions. These just felt more personal. “To start with-“

Their conversation was interrupted by a banging at the door. 

Had her own knock sounded like that, reverberating through the castle? She was shocked they could hear it so well. That must be one of his many designs that she had yet to fully understand.

The door creaked much like it had her first time entering as Vlad quickly moved towards the doorway.

“My lord,” a female voice called. “It is so rare I make it to this part of the world. I had thought it best I say hello.”

Vlad immediately pulled himself upright at the words, lips forming a thin line. “You stay in here,” he said shortly to her, meeting her gaze until she finally nodded before he seemed to disappear before her eyes, likely in the main hall.

She moved to the doorway, peaking around the corner curiously to see a tall, long haired woman.

“Carmilla. I had not expected to see you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! I finally added the slow burn tag because ten thousand words in, this probably counts.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected visitor attempts to ruin their whole night.

Lisa peaked carefully around the corner, only just enough to try to get a view of them.

The last thing she had expected was to have a guest. After being here for weeks, no one had approached the castle besides her. Certainly no one had knocked on the door or called out a greeting like they knew him…

Yet, there stood a tall, white haired woman. Incredibly pale and beautiful. Almost dangerous looking, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

“Of course I had to stop by,” the woman -Carmilla- said, bowing slightly with a hand over her heart. Did she owe him some sort of fealty? She hadn’t done that when she entered. “It would be rude to be in the area and not say hello, after all.”

Vlad paused a few feet away from her, his posture stiff as he met her gaze. And didn’t return the bow, Lisa noted. “Then consider your duty finished. I hope you haven’t been causing problems here,” he said simply, much colder than she had heard from him since she had arrived. Like this woman was a reason to put on some level of a show, though he wasn’t quite trying to scare her. Maybe intimidate her?

Carmilla let out a quite laugh that managed to sound harsh despite itself. Like it was dipped in glass. “No trouble within Wallachia. I leave that to you,” she answered, stepping closer to him.

Lisa’s hand slipped from where she was holding herself up, cursing softly as she stumbled before jerking back. She hadn’t meant to do that. Vlad would definitely hear her. He told her to stay back-

She gasped as she found herself stumbling backwards a moment later, not understanding as she regained her footing, finding herself looking at Vlad’s shoulders. White hair was visible on the other side of him, both of them moving so quickly she hadn’t even seen it until she was nearly on her ass on the floor. “That was uncalled for,” she muttered quietly as she tried to brush herself off even as her heart pounded.

“I didn’t know you had a snack over,” Carmilla commented on the other wise, looking over his shoulder at Lisa. Her eyes were ice blue… No soul. It was chilling to meet her gaze. Like she was being looked at like food. A meal.

It sent a shiver down Lisa’s spine as she stared back, unsure what else to do. She hadn’t backed down to Vlad, and she refused to back down to some stranger that was calling her a /snack/. Another vampire. 

Was that how they all thought of humans? 

He stayed pointedly in between them, not turning around to look at her. “She is a guest and my student. She is quite definitely not a snack, Carmilla,” he said coldly.

Carmilla raised an eyebrow in return, her gaze drawing away from Lisa and allowing her to relax slightly. “Humans don’t keep well, my lord. You should be careful not to get too attached to any of them,” she commented. Like humans were just pets. Things for their amusement. “And they tend to… shatter when you try anything fun. There’s no use in them besides dinner.”

That earned a snarl of annoyance as he stepped closer to Carmilla. He didn’t quite tower over her like he did Lisa, but Lisa had to think that it couldn’t be comfortable. “How or who I spend my time with is none of your concern,” he snapped.

Lisa could hear her own heartbeat as she stared at them, trying to find her voice again. So now she was dealing not only with the fact that Vlad was a vampire, but apparently a decently respected one. Considering she didn’t think that Carmilla looked like a woman to back down from what she wanted if she thought she could take it… 

“I think it would be best you leave,” she finally said quietly, raising her chin as she searched for whatever fearlessness she had managed to find that first day. When she had walked through a field of bodies because she wanted to be a doctor. “Since you obviously do not respect how he runs his home.”

Carmilla stepped forward threateningly to go around Vlad when she spoke up, hissing softly. Flashing fangs at her. Just like his.

His arm was in her way though, holding her back, earning a look of shock. That she quickly tried to mask with some form of innocence. “You cannot be serious, my lord. A human can’t be in charge of your home,” she said quickly, her eyes wide as she met his gaze.

“She doesn’t, I do. I just happen to know when I hear an excellent idea,” Vlad said shortly. It was almost scarier than when he had threatened her the other day. “You should leave before you get on my nerves, Carmilla. You wouldn’t want that.”

Carmilla pressed her lips together in a thin line as she pulled herself to full height, glaring over Vlad’s shoulder at Lisa for a moment before bowing her head slightly to Vlad again. “Of course, my lord,” she said sharply, eyes raised to meet his the whole time despite the posture of submission. “That is the last thing I would want to do.”

The words contained no warmth as she pulled herself to full height again, head held high. She met Lisa’s gaze one last time, fury barely hidden before she turned away and stalked out. The door fell shut moments later with a thud behind her.

Lisa finally let out a shaky breath, reaching for the table to steady herself. “I thought you said you didn’t have visitors often,” she muttered, feeling like she had just run a mile despite the fact that she had barely moved. That woman had looked at her like she would have happily slaughtered her right there. 

He was at her side a moment later, seeming to pause as he reached out to try to help steady her. “I don’t. There are some that happen to stop when they are in the area out of respect,” he explained as his hand dropped back to his side, unsure of how to help her.

“Respect?” she asked, raising her head to glance at him even as she leaned against the table, eyebrows knitting together. “From other- vampires? Why?”

That seemed to pull him up a bit short. “I-“ he trailed off, glancing away for a moment. “I have a reputation from my past actions. Those actions, during my life and after, gained me a great deal of respect. Like the bodies outside. I have more control and fealty from many vampires than others could imagine.”

It was honest, even if such a thing struck deep at the sort of fear Carmilla had poked at with her gaze. Lisa looked down at the table for a long moment, taking several deep breaths.

She knew he wouldn’t hurt her.

He had had plenty of opportunity to do so if that was what he wanted.

“I should leave you to consider all-“

She quickly shook her head. “No. No, I would rather you didn’t,” she interrupted, standing carefully now that she was sure she could hold herself up. “I’d prefer to know these things rather than be shocked when someone shows up here threatening to eat me. And it’s better to get it all out of the way at once.” So that she would know. So that she could prepare herself and… maybe do research. Get a better understanding of vampires. Know how to deal with them and what to expect.

He had started to turn away, frozen in place for a moment as he stared back at her, half turned towards the door. “Truly?” he asked quietly, uncertain. As if he couldn’t believe it. When she nodded, he seemed to deflate a bit. Relieved. “I had thought you would leave.”

She managed an awkward smile as she stepped closer. “You’ve already proven you won’t hurt me. And that you will tell me the truth,” she promised. “So I trust you not to harm me. Not intentionally, anyways. You just have to help me adjust.” She was a bit worried about the way Carmilla had suggested it was so easy for them to ‘break’ humans.

“Right,” Vlad murmured, nodding as he looked down at her. A completely different man from the one that had confronted a vampire not minutes ago. A softer man. “I suppose I can do that. Answer any questions you may have…”

“That’s all I have ever asked,” she tried to tease. The tone fell a bit flat, but she could still see his lips twitch in amusement at her.

“Let’s clean up in here before you get going,” he said, reaching for her plate from dinner now that her appetite was certainly filled. Or gone. He headed for the sink, picking up his glass as well which he finished off before making it to the sink.

Maybe he had once been a cruel man, but she couldn’t see that that was the case anymore. Not when he could act so simply… domestic sometimes. So relieved that she still wanted to be here.

She joined him at the sink to dry the dishes, letting them work in silence for now. It felt idyllic almost despite the sudden threats and interruption. Like they could find a happy normalcy this way if she actually knew what was going on.

It wasn’t long before he was walking with her quietly through the castle until they settled down in the study where he motioned for her to go ahead and ask any questions she had about him. His life. Vampires. Anything that she wanted to know that he might be able to answer, truly.

Which was how she found herself curled up in a big arm chair by the fire -not in her room, scared and shocked as she read books about creatures she thought didn’t exist- but asking about a long life and how he had come to be here. How someone could live so long. How he had managed to keep himself entertaining. How he had gained fealty of vampires apparently around the world.

She wouldn’t lie and say it was all pleasant, but it gave her a truer understanding.

A man who had gone to war to protect his first family. His home. His people. Himself.

A creature that had used his strength in revenge on those that had harmed those he cared about after they were gone. Taken revenge where he could and leaving a message on his front lawn for all to see what happened when they crossed.

A new being that survived on blood and may have shed more blood than necessary in his own pain and will to protect. That had gained the respect of similar beings around the world in the process as they heard of his feats, even if that hadn’t been his original intention. Which had left him in relative peace, if isolation. Living in the castle from his life before. Collecting knowledge and advancing technology.

A man she now sat in front of, not always happy or even unafraid as she listened, but still listening. Trying to understand a bit more than she had.

The conversation eventually drifted to more mundane things. His day to day life, her own life. Why she wanted to be a doctor. Superficial things that weren’t any less important.   
As sunrise neared hours later, he finally rose from his own chair.

“You should get some rest, Lisa. Tomorrow, I suppose we will have to continue your lessons,” he said with a small smile, offering her a hand up.

She carefully took it, letting herself be pulled to her feet. She leaning up to kiss his cheek quickly without thinking, quickly turning away as her face heated up, and heading for her room. “Rest well, Vlad,” she said over her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla is so much fun! I really enjoyed this chapter to write. Let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A picnic in the moonlight... And perhaps a bit more?

They didn’t talk about her kissing him on the cheek, though Vlad was a bit awkward about it for the next several days. He would almost… flush sometimes when she got close to him. Or at least get far less pale than he normally was, which Lisa took to be a blush of sorts. Which left her unsure of where they stood, but at least he wasn’t upset. She’d been worried she had overstepped some boundary between them. But time continued to go by and they fell back into a normal routine.

Still, they went back to her learning, and it wasn’t long before she was mixing the more basic medicines and more than capable of cleanly doing stitches. Diagnosing past a common cold even if she couldn’t always treat it. Leaps and bounds ahead of where she had started, grinning at the man brightly whenever she succeeded. And she was far more comfortable now that she actually understood his odd behavior. 

More and more often, she pulled a smile out of him for her hard work too.

Then she found him awake one early morning/late one night, packing a small basket of food, leaving her standing in the doorway in confusion as she watched. “What are you doing?”

Vlad glanced up in surprise before glancing back at the basket. “I believe it’s called a picnic. The weather is nice, and we are already done for the night. I thought it would be a good way to spend dinner,” he offered, shifting his weight slightly. Like he was worried she would deny the idea completely.

“A picnic? I never would have thought you’d enjoy that,” she said with a grin as it registered. When she had arrived here, she never would have thought he even knew what a picnic was. Maybe he had come far, even if he still didn’t like going down to town. It was a much more human gesture than she had ever expected to see out of him after his first greeting had been so threatening… So off putting.

She moved to his side to help him pack of the back, unable to help the smile that stayed on her face before glancing at it curiously. There was food and wine, of course, but- “What about for you?”

It was only wine, as far as she could tell.

He blinked at her for a moment and then shrugged. “I don’t eat with you most nights anyways,” he commented, head tilting a bit to the side. His hands paused over the basket, glancing at her closely. “Besides, I would hate for it to spill. You certainly can’t have blood on your food.”

“That doesn’t mean you should go without eating,” she said, folding her arms across her chest as she considered it. He did need to eat, and she wasn’t sure how he deal with being hungry. It was obvious that he followed most of his whims for the best… however many years. She still had a hard time placing just how old he was. But maybe. Maybe there was a solution. “It’s- it’s human blood, right? That’s what you normally have?”

The fangs had always been obvious, though she had ignored them well at first. Just assumed they were an oddity.

“Yes,” he answered carefully, frowning. “Why?”

“Well, how do you take it normally from people? There must be a way if you have all those bottles floating around,” she said quickly before she could lose her nerve. This was easier. After all, she’d never seen him actually bite someone. Probably because it could be messy? “Bring whatever that is with us. You can take enough from me for a glass or two. That won’t do much since I’ll have something to eat.”

The look he gave her. It was somewhere between horrified and amazed. “You? I don’t really think that is a good idea, Lisa,” he said, folding his arms across his chest back at her. Though his fingers picked lightly at his cloak on the edge rather than standing firm.

That earned him a snort. “I am more than capable of having my blood drawn, thank you very much if you have the capabilities to safely do such a thing. Which you obviously do,” she retorted, sounding steadier than she felt. She had long since accepted that she trusted a vampire with her life after continuing to work beside him. “Pack that up and a glass, and we’ll bring it with us.”

He gaped at her for a moment, looking properly shocked before letting out a breath. “Are you sure? That’s a big- offer. On your part,” he said quietly, eyes wide as he looked down at her.

Lisa gave him a small smile in return for his concern. That was sweet. He truly was such an amazing person now that he had started to settle a bit. To figure out what it meant to be a man again. “I’ve told you. I trust you. So yes, I am sure,” she promised. She wouldn’t have offered otherwise.

Vlad let out a breath, taking her in for a moment longer. As if making sure she understood what she was offering, though she didn’t quite. But he seemed to accepted her words as he turned away after a moment. “If you wish to back out at any point, I will not hold it against you,” he promised quietly, back turned. Giving her a way out yet again. Ready to be denied just as he had been when she had met Carmilla.

Even though she didn’t plan on denying him, then or now.

She helped him finish packing the basket instead, making sure his ‘wine’ glass was well wrapped and off to the side so that it wouldn’t shatter. He liked to act like he could replace everything, but he deserved the care she took with it.

A bit over half an hour later, she was watching Vlad Tepes throw a blanket out that she strongly suspected was an old cloak. Under a nice tree on the edge of the courtyard with a clear beam of moonlight for them. Truly sweet as he set out a plate for her, bowing slightly with a smile to let her set first.

Lisa smiled, going to sit down on it and patted the blanket next to her. “Come along then. Enjoy the moonlight with me,” she said quietly, looking up at him.

He paused before throwing his cape back behind him as he sat down. She had to think that it was a practiced motion with the way he did it. A flair for the dramatic. “I did tell you it is a nice night,” he commented, helping her unpack the food, pausing when their hands brushed.

She only paused slightly though when they touched hands, instead continuing setting up and pulling his glass and the contraption he had made to draw blood. “And now all you need to do is get your own glass and we are set for a beautiful picnic,” she said, rolling up her sleeve calmly. Now that he had made the choice, it was easier to prepare herself. She held out the bag and tubing that was connected to a thin but sharp needle she suspected was hollow inside. That was the only way it made sense. “You wouldn’t make a lady stick herself, would you?”

That seemed to finally shake him from staring at her in what had to be awe again, carefully taking it from her. “Right. Of course,” Vlad murmured, stretching it out carefully to check for any kinks before glancing at her.

Lisa finished rolling up her sleeve and held out her arm. “I’m not changing my mind, in case that’s what you were worried about,” she teased lightly.

“I still stand by the fact that it is a big offer,” he muttered, shaking his head. But he cleaned off her arm carefully and made sure she was comfortable before steadying her. She felt the prick of the needle and then watched the bag partially fill before he cut it off. A small bandage at the crook of her elbow and she was watching curiously as he filled his own glass. “This was very kind of you.”

If asked, Lisa would be happy to admit that staring at a glass of her own blood was incredibly odd. Something she had never considered, certainly. “I can’t have you going hungry just because you’re too much of a gentleman to say otherwise,” she said with a shrug as she rolled her sleeve back down. “Besides, I have a feeling those fangs make quite the mess if you actually bite someone. I really don’t need my evening meal interrupted with blood on my clothes unless someone is actually hurt or dying.”

It was remarkable how much blood could look like wine.

The look of absolute awe was back as he folded up the bag and packed it away again. “You certainly are a quite fascinating human,” he finally murmured, shaking his head.

She smiled slightly and raised her glass towards his to toast. “And you are an interesting man,” she agreed as he lightly touched his glass with hers before they both took a sip, enjoying the moonlight and silence for a moment. “I would let you bite me if you needed to. Just for future reference.”

“I would never ask that of you!” he retorted quickly only to earn a wave of the hand from her. But he persisted. “No, truly. I would not ask that of you. You are not here to give me blood or take care of me.”

Letting out a breath, she set her glass down to look at him. “I am quite serious. If you needed to, I would let you. I would not let you go hungry or suffer when I could easily help you,” she said, turning to look at him. “Please do not mistake it as something that I would offer lightly. I have told you before, I trust you, Vlad. And I have come to care about you. So please do not insult me by denying that.”

Vlad froze, staring at her for a long moment as he seemed to soak in all of that. Try to formulate a response. Something. Slowly, he came back to himself, and leaned in. Giving her the chance to pull back. Until their lips met lightly.

Tentatively.

She had to admit she was shocked, but Lisa wasn’t going to let it pass her by, leaning up to wrap her arms around his neck. Pulling him closer. So that he wouldn’t run when he realized what he had done, though she was fairly certain he was much stronger than her. But right now, he was gently and only slightly cool against. Comfortably so in the warm night air.

He pulled away first, face as flushed as it could get. “I… could not have hoped to be so well received,” he murmured, face inches from hers, foreheads touching.  
Which drew a quiet laugh from her. “You could do a lot more and still be well received,” she promised gently. “But we might want to eat before we try much more.” To which he only seemed to flush more, leaning in for another light kiss.

Because though she may be good at having manners, Lisa of Lupu was not a lady. She certainly didn’t hold much stock in god or the traditions that seemed to come with believing in such a being. And she was here, with a vampire, enjoying a meal. She could tell tradition to be damned when she was certain she was more than past falling for Vlad. Following for a man that had not truly been a man for centuries.

But still, they settled down to eat before they went any further. Her needing to replenish what energy she had lost from giving her blood and him needing to pull himself together.

Within the hour, she was pulling him inside by the hand, grinning as he let himself be lead to her bedroom. He still seemed shocked, moving slowly as if in a dream, but a very good dream. One where a wish had come true.

He didn’t seem to freeze up until she was helping him out of his cloak and then his shirt, pausing as she finally witnessed the scars that traced up his arms and torso. Like he was brought down to the present by the reminders of his past. “Oh,” she breathed, carefully catching his wrist before he could withdraw, fingers tracing lightly over them. She had known – or at least suspected - they existed underneath all those layers of clothing. But she had never seen them.

“Tell me about them?” she requested softly, glancing up to meet his gaze. 

Vlad paused in surprise before carefully drawing her over to the bed with him. “I’ll tell you about the ones I can remember,” he offered quietly. Which didn’t surprise her but broke her heart all the same. He had far too many scars and hid lived too long a life on his own. When she nodded, he gave a soft sigh as her fingers traced lightly over those on his arms. “They are not pretty stories.”

She shrugged. “I have never asked for pretty stories from you. Only the truth,” she reassured, settling slightly against him. And even now, his skin was cool as she rested her head on his shoulder, almost able to feel the way he stared at the top of her head as her fingers continued to find new scars.

He stayed silent for a long time, though he never pulled away. Thinking on where to start, perhaps. “I no longer have scars from before I was turned into a vampire… From when I was human. They disappeared with the change. It heals us to go through such a process and gain immortality,” he began softly. “But this one is the oldest. From when I was bitten and changed.” He drew her hand towards the spot on his left wrist, drawing her gaze as she felt the slight ridges of teeth marks from long ago. “I think he wanted to watch the world burn by biting someone of my ranking. And I suppose I gave him that in some ways. My rage knew no bounds back then… And neither did my mind.”

She let out a soft breath, fingers tracing over the circular mark. “I guess some people do mellow with age, though a century is a bit much,” she teased, unsure how to take the rest of it in. She could understand being angry, but that level of anger… And in such a brilliant man. He could have destroyed so many with such ease. He likely did.

He chuckled quietly. “Yes, I know. But I was young then, and full of more anger than any one person should be,” he murmured. 

But he didn’t stop except to occasionally gauge her reaction as he continued to speak. He spoke of battles and death, taking life like he was a child with a toy or candy. A true menace on the world, and so different from the man she knew today. It explained the bodies that she had come upon the day she banged the pommel of her knife on the door. He’d wanted to be left alone, but not after showing everyone that he would protect his home and himself.

Her fingers traced each scar as he spoke, though there was many he did not remember and some he could only guess at. They eventually curled up against the pillows at the top of the bed, settled down comfortably at what had turned into hours.

She leaned in, kissing him lightly as he finally paused before curling up next to him tiredly. “That’s enough for tonight,” she murmured quietly. “The sun will be up soon, and you will have to head to bed.”

He paused, wrapping an arm around her. “The curtains keep out any sunlight. I wouldn’t take such a risk. If it is… alright with you. I think I will stay,” he murmured, glancing away.

She hummed softly in response and settled down closer, pulling the blankets up around them. “I would like that.”

Slowly, Lisa drifted off against him, feeling his own breathing even out to almost nothing as the sun rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in chapter, y'all. I've moved and been up to a lot recently, but here's a new chapter! Hope you enjoy, please tell me what you think in the comments <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not everything can be smooth.

Days continued to pass in such a manner of growing familiarity with occasionally Vlad staying in her bed. She never made it to his room, but there was never a question that he was welcome in hers and that his own study was quickly becoming her favorite place to read. He was quickly becoming her favorite pillow, and he didn’t seem to mind, grumbling aside.

Which was how she found herself reading, legs propped lightly over the arm of the chair as she read, lost in thought late on afternoon as the sun finally set.

Every time she entered his library, she found something new to read. Whether about stars or medicine or inventions. She still hadn’t quite figured out how he lit everything up throughout the castle, but this one was setting broken bones and making sure there was no infection as a person healed. And how to treat any infection when there was no actual laceration. How to stop it early and treat it.

The sun had barely set when she heard a knock on the door downstairs, leaving her frowning in confusion. Few rarely came up here, though they had started going into the village regularly to help treat actual people.

There was only so much she could learn from a book.

And it was doing wonders for Vlad’s social skills, though he was still reluctant most nights. They made it down once a week, which was what made her think that maybe someone had come up here looking for them. She hurried downstairs, not bothering to find shoes or even mark her spot in the book, pulling the door quickly open. “Hello? Are you-“

She froze, eyes going wide as she recognized the female vampire from before. “I believe Vlad has made clear that you are not welcome here,” Lisa said shortly, pressing the door quickly back in even as the woman’s hand shot out to stop her. And there was no force that she was going to convince herself that she could push her out. Still, Lisa didn’t step back as she met her gaze, much like the first time she had stepped inside this castle.

“And yet he’s not here,” Carmilla retorted with a flash of teeth that someone less aware might have mistaken for a smile. “I had expected you to be gone by now. Or dead, perhaps. He isn’t known for his kindness to humans.” ‘Humans’ sounded like a curse in her mouth. A threat.

Lisa’s lips formed a thin line as she raised her chin slightly to stare back at her. Vlad had to be getting up soon. She just had to hold it together until he heard them. He always seemed to know when something was going on in the castle. “And I had not expected to see you here against. You aren’t going to scare me off with tales of him, thank you very much,” she shot back despite her pounding heart. “Would you like me to go get him for you? Though, I’ll have to ask you to wait outside.”

The hand that suddenly closed around her throat left her gasping loudly for breath despite herself.

She hadn’t even seen the woman move.

Air barely made it into her lungs, not enough to properly choke her even as her feet dangled in the air. “I’ll make myself and him very clear. At most, you are a passing fancy. At worst, he is playing with his food,” Carmilla hissed, a grin curling at her lips, fangs obvious. Eyes a deep red. “You should make your choices very carefully, little human. Your life could be so easily ended.”

Lisa couldn’t help the way her own hands gripped onto Carmilla’s trying to pull herself up for more air. “You sound jealous,” she managed to choke out before the hand tightened around her throat harshly.

And then she was crumbling to the floor in the doorway as Carmilla stepped back, smile quickly disappearing. “Carmilla,” a familiar voice behind Lisa practically growled.

“My lord,” the vampire answered quickly, her hand covering her heart to bow slightly. The pinnacle of respect after just threatening to kill Lisa without a second thought. Not a thread or hair out of place. “The human was being insolent. I could not allow such a thing to stand when she does not know her place.”

Which only earned her another snarl. “I believe I made it clear that she is my guest and my student. And that you would do well to not get on my nerves,” Vlad growled softly. “Leave. You are not welcome here while Lisa is here.” It was like being trapped between two wild cats.

Carmilla’s mouth opened as if to argue or gasp, quickly closing for a moment as she pulled herself to full height. “My lord,” she began carefully. “I was just helping you trai-“

“I said to _leave_ , Carmilla. Now. Before I make you,” he hissed, crouching down to carefully gather Lisa up even though her feeling was returning. The shock was dying down and her neck hurt. The pain was already beginning to throb, leaving her knowing that it would bruise. Likely with fingerprint.

The door was shoved shut before she could respond, Vlad’s frame tense around her.

He didn’t say anything as he turned to head back up the stairs, steps carefully even. “I’m alright. I thought she was just- just someone looking for help,” she managed, voice rough around the words. Being threatened like that wasn’t an everyday experience, certainly not with explicit bodily harm. “Just going to bruise a bit.”

“It shouldn’t have happened at all,” he said shortly. But he still didn’t look down at her, grip tightening a bit on her, almost protective despite the fact that the threat was gone. “You should not have been in such danger at all.”

Lisa took a careful breath, leaning her head against his shoulder carefully. “Yes, well. She should know better. But that does not make this anyone’s fault but hers,” she managed, lowing her voice a bit. Speaking too loudly hurt. Who knew how much force Carmilla had put behind that grip, or how far she would have gone if Vlad hadn’t arrived behind her. Her own heart still pounded in her chest, shaken. “I’ll be alright. Got the best doctor right here.” She patted his chest lightly.

And she was fairly certain it would only be a bad bruise.

Still, he fell silent as he made his way up the rest of the stairs towards her room, setting her carefully into the bed. “I’ll be right back. I need to find a salve,” he said quietly, not quite glancing at her.

He was gone too quickly for her to respond, leaving her to pull the blankets around herself shakily. She’d never been so close to someone trying to kill her as that, and it left her shaken. Even arriving here that first night months ago had not been so scary. Then again, she had never expected to run into someone that would kill her, just a hermit that might happily take to having his life interrupted.

Never expected to see someone threaten another for her.

There was a light knock what must have been moments later before Vlad stepped back inside, black cloak pooling around him. He carefully crouched in front her, frowning deeply. “I need to touch your neck. And you need to tell me if it hurts,” he said quietly as he opened the little bottle that he had brought with him, crouching beside the bed to treat her.

She gave a small nod. “Go ahead,” she murmured quietly when he seemed to be waiting for her permission. She winced at the first touch, surprised but managed to steel herself when he quickly jerked his hand back. They returned lightly a moment later, cool as ever. He still wouldn’t look at her face. “I think it’s just bruised. I’m only sore,” she added before he could start talking again. Not that it looked like he wanted to.

The frown only deepened as he continued his work. “You should leave when this is healed. Somewhere safer,” he finally said quietly.

Not the question of if she wanted to or if she was scared of him. Or those like him. Just that she should. Her gripped tightened in her blankets as she pulled back to sit up. “I most certainly should not. How c-“

“You should,” he interrupted carefully, finally glancing up when she pulled away, meeting her gaze carefully. “Carmilla is not the only like that. Others could kill you. They… have the temper for it. I cannot allow you to be harmed by those of my court. So, you need to leave as I can only protect you so much.”

Lisa’s lips formed a thin line as she stared back at him, going to tip her head before wincing as it pulled at the freshly bruised skin. She hated to think what it looked like. “You, Vlad Tepes, are not the one that gets to decide what I should or should not do. You can only kick me out, but I will not choose to leave of my own free will,” she warned, putting as much strength into her voice as she could. It hurt to raise it slightly, but she needed to make a point. “This is where I belong. Learning, healing, and with a man who accepts those things about me. There is no one that can better protect me from such feats as those like Carmilla, and I am assuming that the rest of your ‘court’ is the same way.”

He pulled in a deep breath as he sat back slightly to look up at her. “I cannot have them harm you. You deserve a life elsewhere,” he murmured, shaking his head. “Away from this world.”

“This world?” she huffed, unable to hold back the wince that that brought from her before shaking her head slowly. That woman had had fingers like steel. She really could have snapped her neck. Her heart stuttered at the thought. “No. This world has allowed me to follow my dreams, and I will _not_ leave it even if I am not truly part of it. I refuse anything else.”

“I- You need to rest, Lisa. We can talk about this when you’ve come to your senses,” Vlad murmured, pushing himself to his feet carefully and setting the salve by her bed. “This will help with the pain. I’ll leave you.”

Lisa froze for a moment before pulling herself out of bed before he could leave. “My senses? I just had someone try to choke me, and you think I’m not sensible enough to tell you what I want out of my life still? No-“ She swayed slightly, reaching out to hold onto the bedframe for a moment-“No. I know exactly what I want. That is to stay here and continue this life. And if that means changes must be made, I insist they be made then. But I will not leave you or this castle.”

Vlad’s hand shot out to steady her, steering her back to sit down for a moment as he let out a breath. “I’ll… Right,” he whispered, seeming to gather his thoughts with wide eyes. “Of course. You know what you want…” He shook his head slightly. “Sleep, Lisa. We’ll- we’ll discuss some arrangement tomorrow evening then.”

He leaned forward and carefully kissed the top of her head before pulling back to step away from the bed. “Rest,” he murmured.

She pressed her lips together, watching him for a moment. But the press his lips was reassuring if nothing else. That he wouldn’t force her to leave. “I’ll hold you to that,” she warned quietly.

That earned her a small smile despite the fact that his eyes lowered again before stepping away. “Until tomorrow, Lisa.” He nodded, finally stepping out of the room.

And if it took a while for her to finally sleep, she couldn’t really be blamed, could she? She’d grown so used to having him here… But she eventually drifted off, curled up in her blankets. Still, she woke up gasping after the sun had finally risen, a note by her bed.

_I am working on a project and will be back late tonight. Then we can discuss the new arrangements for your staying here. -V_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay, y'all! I've gotten a bunch of dental work/started a new semester of law school. Hope you're doing well and that you enjoy this new chapter! Let me know what you think, and if you're in the US, don't forget to vote.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dealing with the fallout of Carmilla's visit.

He didn’t appear for several hours, as his note had said. Not until late that night, leaving Lisa to pull herself into an old cloak he had left in her room, wandering through the lab downstairs quietly. He couldn’t just leave here… It was still his home.

But he wasn’t there.

Instead, she leaned over counters in the lab to update the medicines they were working on, happy that she at least understood the basics of stopping coughs and sore throats and different pain relievers to stock up a bit. She wanted to be able to treat people down in the village more regularly, and the simple things tended to be what they needed. Simple medicines and teas and occasionally knowing how to set an injury properly. These were also things she could do when the night before caught up with her. The threats to her life, the bruises around her neck. The sporadic swell of pain when she twisted her head the wrong way.

The work was truly the distraction she needed to stop herself from wondering where Vlad had gone. Sleeping alone and still sore from the day before, she didn’t want to think much about why he had disappeared like this with nothing but a note. It left her looking over her shoulder at every little noise. She’d never stayed in the castle much alone. Vlad had always been there…

The castle felt empty without him. Cold. More unwelcoming than the first day she had walked in those large front doors and he had definitely threatened her.

She finally settled for starting on a late dinner for herself as well as a cup of tea that was trying to grow cold. She needed to eat, and he’d taught her enough to figure out the basics for a good meal. Still, she knew his meals would probably taste better than whatever simple thing she laid out here. The tea sat next to her on the counter as she began to chop vegetables, hearing the door open.

“Vlad?” she called, knife still in hand. After yesterday, she wanted it if it happened to be someone else. Stabbing might not be as effective, but it would work.  
“Are you finally home?”

She couldn’t hear anyone, which wasn’t reassuring. She inched closer to the door, knife still in hand as she peaked around the corner, holding her breath. She would kill Carmilla if she were the one that came around this corner. She wasn’t going to be some snack. She could handle this. She hoped.

“Vlad?” she called again, voice soft. She knew she shouldn’t announce herself, but she hoped it was just him. “If it’s anyone el-“

She gasped as someone appeared in front of her, knife coming up before she could help it. A hand caught her wrist before she finally let out a breath. “Vlad! I could have stabbed you.”

He stood before her, cloak and all, looking slightly amused if tired. “I doubt that,” he said quietly, letting go of her wrist, knife still in hand. Like he would at least allow her to think she could do such damage to him. She knew better. He was far too fast. “I did not mean to scare you. I had not realized you were still awake, and then your voice echoed. I apologize.”

“You’re far too silent not to answer me like that,” she chided, taking a shaky breath. And her heart was still pounding in her chest. Her fingers tightened around the knife for a moment before she finally turned to head back to the kitchen. “Come help me with dinner, you can tell me what you were up to while we chop vegetables.”

She linked fingers with him with her free hand to pull him along, and he allowed her. He paused for a moment before taking another knife to help her finish preparing dinner. “You could have eaten sooner,” he murmured.

That earned him a snort of disbelief. “I’m used to eating with you at this point. And you said you’d be back. I was hoping I could outwait you,” she explained, knife working on the carrot in front of her again. Her heart was starting to slow again now that she knew she wasn’t in immediate danger. That it was just Vlad, a vampire and a man she cared far too deeply about. A man she trusted to share a bed with. To teach her and not view her as lesser.

He seemed to take an unnecessary breath and nodded. “Well, you apparently can. I had an… idea last night. Something that I had to get done. In case you do ever decide to leave. Or need a safe place to go,” he explained quietly. She glanced over to find his eyes intently focused on his own chopping.

She opened her mouth to retort that she wouldn’t need such a thing only to have a hand raised at her. To pause just for a moment. “No. I am going to say this. If you don’t use it, that is alright,” he said quietly. “But I cannot have you worried about what will happen if you ever need or want to leave. Thus, I am working on a small cottage for you. It’s mostly complete, but it needs to be stocked.”

Not quite looking at her, he set the knife down as he continued talking. “You can use it for other reasons, of course. You’ve talked about doing more things in town. It’s all yours however you like it,” he said quietly, hands resting on the counter as if to steady himself. Not that she had ever seen him unsteady. “I want you to have a safe place to go. Somewhere that no one else owns and that no- individual can threaten you. I’m happy to show it to you soon, either before or after it-“

She took his hand, distracting him from continuing enough to get her to look at her and carefully raising a hand of his cheek. “Thank you,” she said gently, voice soft as she was able to meet his gaze. “That’s incredibly kind of you. Though I don’t plan on living down there.”

He blinked at her for a moment before letting out another breath. “I just want you to be safe. Yesterday was concerning,” he murmured.

“Well, you ridiculous man, what was more concerning was not understanding where you had gone,” she said gently. Or why, for that matter. She had no idea what Vlad had been up to all day, and while he wasn’t very loud around the castle, it felt eerie to have the castle empty with only her there to fill the silence. “We can go down tomorrow and bring whatever you think is necessary. It’ll be a nice trip, and a good place to store those medicines we’ve been working on.”

His fingers carefully traced down the side of her face, cool but soft despite the amount of wear they must have after so many years. “I just don’t want you to be hurt. Or to feel like you’re stuck here,” he murmured.

Lisa smiled softly, head tilting into his touch. He could be gentle when he chose to. “I don’t feel stuck here. And I prefer you being around. Now that you’re back, why don’t you help me finish up this dinner? You’re a much better chef than I.” Not for lack of trying, she was learning that too.

That earned her a smile, causing her to lean up and quickly peck him on the cheek before turning to finish up her dinner. It was enough to let them fall into cooking a small meal almost like normal, though Vlad seemed to avoid staring at her for too long except the one time his gaze lingered on the still obvious bruises around her neck. Guilty. 

Quieter than usual.

She refused to acknowledge it though, focusing on the task at hand as they cooked, occasionally mentioning what she had done while he was out and just talking to fill the silence. A simple soup that she could settle down with while he poured a glass of blood for himself to sip at while she ate. It still amazed her that he had bothered to learn to cook when he never ate anything himself. That it was actually good left her in absolute awe.

Clean up was just as silent before she finally huffed loudly, bowl in hand. “Vlad, I’m fine. Sore, but alright. Please quit looking at me like I’m going to break,” she said, shaking her head as she handed him the dish to dry.

He froze for a moment before nodding, taking the plate from her. “Still. It was rather- harsh. It should not have happened,” he murmured, running the towel through it carefully as he looked at his hands, the motion more mechanic than intentional. Not looking at her. Again. “I will not have you hurt on the account of my court. Your safety is of utmost importance to me. Hence the cottage. Which may be of great necessity if I ever need to call my court for some reason. Carmilla is bad enough.”

He called court? He hadn’t mentioned that before. Just that he was actually in charge of other vampires, in a way. She shook her head quickly. “That does not change the fact that I am alright. Like I said, I’m sore, and I’m tired, but I’m alright. Just worried about all of this,” she said, resisting the urge to snap at him. She just wanted him to settle down a bit. And if it meant some little place on the edge of town, she’d be happy to have it, but she didn’t want these looks. “I appreciate what you’re building, but I would appreciate help with the medicine more right now. Alright?”

That caused him to pause. Like he still expected her to run at every moment. She might not be feeling the most secure right now, but she hadn’t stopped trusting him. They stood there for a moment before he finally nodded. “I can do that,” he promised quietly, setting the bowl back into its cabinet.

“Good. And then maybe we can read for a bit? We could both use some relaxation.” She settled slightly, glad to see him relax a bit, watching his shoulders slump as he nodded. Though the worry was still clear across his face.

“Alright. I would like that,” he murmured, ushering her towards the stairs.

She offered a smile and headed towards her room. She’d done most of the work needed for today anyways, so he could worry about other things if he stayed up later than her. Which he probably would if he still needed to work out whatever nerves were bothering him about the night before. 

She linked her fingers with his as they walked, wanting to at least know if he decided to run off or stiffen. Besides, his hands were cool against hers. Eventually, she was able to lightly tug him into her room, plopping down on the bed and finding the salve from the day before, holding it out to him. “Please?” Not that she couldn’t do it herself, but still.

He paused before carefully taking it from her, sitting down besides her. “If you like,” he agreed, taking a look at the marks as he carefully put some on his fingers. His touch was exceedingly gentle as he rubbed it into the bruises, not quite looking at her face. “I still am deeply s-“

She cut him off with a raised finger. “Nope. I am not looking for another apology. I’ll be fine,” she said, pulling back as he finished up. “I am looking for someone to read with me.”

She imagined she would have nightmares for a while, but not of him. He wouldn’t harm her. She knew that much already. She kicked off the slippers she had been wearing and motioned for him to come lay with her. “Come on. Read to me. You have such a pleasant voice for it,” she said, patting the spot next to her.

He hesitated for a moment before moving to join her, taking the book from her carefully and freezing as she curled up against his side. “Comfortable?” he finally asked, glancing down at her only to get a nod. “Okay. Well, get some rest.” He flipped the book open to find the beginning, voice soft as he began reading, if a bit stiff.

She smiled slightly, curling further against his side as he read, glancing at the pages. Slowly, she drifted off next to him, far more comfortable than the night before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a bit but here's a new chapter! I hope you enjoy, I'll try to get another chapter before winter break is over.
> 
> Fun facts: I've been reading the book Carmilla was based on.
> 
> Happy Holidays!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! I'll try to get you another chapter soon!


End file.
